Tag: dailyprompt

Biscuits

What’s your go-to comfort food?

I don’t have the best diet in the world, but I know what I like, and I like pretty much anything that’s put in front of me. I’m not a fussy eater and personally I think the wife struck lucky with me, as she can put anything in front of me and I will just eat it, no complaints, I’m just grateful for whatever I get to eat. Many others are not so fortunate.

However my downfall is biscuits. At work they call me the “Cookie Monster” and even brought me a tee shirt to clarify that fact.

The shirt

I look after the biscuit barrels at work, yes there are two of them to ensure proper biscuit etiquette is observed at all times. On one occasion a colleague mixed in a packet of Ginger nuts with the Bourbons, custard creams and digestives, and I must admit I suitably chastised him to make him understand the error of his ways. He wouldn’t do it again. They now all know the process that is in place.

One does not mix ginger nuts with “standard” biscuits.

The ginger nuts now have their own tin. Don’t get me wrong, i love ginger nuts, but don’t wish to eat another specific, wonderfully flavoured biscuit with the added taste of ginger. Ok it’s Gingerism I guess, but this kind of behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated 😂

You see, I take my go to food obsession to another level, I can’t help it I just love biscuits! 🍪

Have a great day.

Monopoly, darts and cards

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

For me my favourite board game has always been Monopoly. Over the years I have had numerous versions and this is what I like about the game, it has developed and changed with time.

The old original game will always be the best version, but I like how the makers have also created regional versions or versions that use a credit card payment system, there are so many versions out there.

I currently have two versions at home and that is one based around the city of Leicester, as well as a version that incorporates electronic banking – yes you get your own credit card!

The Leicester edition
Electronic banking edition

I know a lot of people don’t like this game just because the time it takes, and sometimes people get so frustrated with it that you often see them “flipping the board” in anger and frustration. We have none of that here and it has been known for the wife and I to have a game go on so long that we’ve stopped one evening to continue it the next day. It’s a game that the wife and I really enjoy. We’ve also both been known to play the online version, against others around the world with varying degrees of success.

Other games we really enjoy are plain old card games and a good session of darts in the garden “Pub”

Darts

Why do we enjoy it? Because it’s fun and a wonderful way to spend some quality time together, and to switch off from all the other nonsense going on in the world. It’s lovely at home when things are getting a bit hectic to just say, “Fancy a game of darts” and then off we go. It’s a great break from the norm and something else to give your attention to for a few hours. And who doesn’t like a bit of friendly rivalry?

I like games. They are a superb way to break the ice and relax. Something we all need in today’s manic world.

Have a super day 👍

A trusted and loyal companion

Dogs or cats?

I must admit my wife and I have been loyal supporters of the dog breed of “Bichon-frise”, for the last 35 years, basically all of our married life. My wife and I first came across this beautiful breed of dog when we were first holidaying in Devonshire way back in the late 80s early 90s.

Our first – Muffin circa 1991

We were living in a small one bedroomed flat, and as a result of not being able to have children, we were looking at another option of being able to give love and attention to an animal that required our unwavering care. And to top it all this breed did not moult, it was kind of hypo allergenic and that was good as the last thing you want in a small home are loads of dog hairs, oh, and it would also be beneficial to my asthmatic conditions. It’s true to say we really did our homework before getting our first dog.

Alf – our little fellah

We’ve had three of this breed accompanying us throughout our married life, Muffin, Digger and Alfie and they were all such beautiful little souls with such wonderful characteristics, each one different from each other but such wonderful company. We lost Alf about 11 months back due to illness and we still miss him so much, it’s raw. Is there a cure for a broken heart 💔

So in theory we are very much dog people. However….

When we purchased our current home we also inherited a Feral cat that we have named “Tabs”. Tabs was in all the original sale pictures but no one owned her, we brought her property and she still lives out there and guards it with an intensity that only ferals have. We were worried about how she’d get on with Alf, but he was so soft that they developed a lovely friendship, they got on so well.

Tabs – Feral cat

Tabs remains to this day, she still patrols her domain and allows us to live there. She’s fed and watered daily and is a major feature of our home now. We love her and remain very supportive of her, and are always worried for her welfare when she disappears for a day or two. But she knows we will always feed her so she is never gone long.

So we are also cat people. But for me it’s at a distance…as I’m allergic to them.

It doesn’t matter what you prefer to be honest, they all crave our love and attention and will always give you the same in return unconditionally. They deserve our love and we all become better people for having an animal to care for. It always amazes me how creatures from different species can become so dependent upon each other.

Pity some humans can’t treat those in their own species the same way.

Have a wonderful day.

Losing track of time

Which activities make you lose track of time?

There is no doubt about it, that when I get involved in anything, one thing is guaranteed and that is, that you are going to get nothing but a full commitment of time and attention from me.

My main problem is that sometimes I immerse myself so deep that I sometimes struggle to get back out of the situation. Sometimes it maybe just be a helping hand that is needed and not a full scale immersion, and that’s where I sometimes struggle to find the fine line, it’s a personal issue I have always had.

I’ve learned a few harsh lessons in the past where a helping hand was all that was needed. The people I have been helping were either more than capable at completing the task, or had people with them that would have benefited more from participating in the task, rather than having me jump in and take over. I think I have become more aware of this now and even though I always wish to see a task through to its conclusion, I reluctantly stand by and am instead happy to offer advice if necessary. I just find it hard to take that step back occasionally.

I’m generally a busy person, just of my own making. I may not appear busy to the person passing by, however my brain is in overdrive keeping me busy or working something out within.

So in conclusion I’d say that pretty much all activities make me lose track of time. In some people that would probably make them bad timekeepers I’d guess, however that is again a problem I do not have. I like to help, though I guess my help may not always be appreciated, I just like to get involved, and I can be relied on to be there on time.

It must be horrible to have a wasted lazy lifestyle, however I do appreciate this is not the way everyone operates.

Maybe I need to lose track of time more often, just taking it easy. But hey, that’s just not me I’m afraid.

Have a super successful day folks

WP bothers me today

What bothers you and why?

At the moment, the only thing Bothering me is WP. When I view my site in mobile mode it has gone all skewiffed with the photos looking mahoosive. Only happened in the last 24hrs but all they can say is, “We haven’t done anything?” You most definitely have as my settings have pretty much remained the same since I started this site.

C’mon, be fair, you know you have tampered with things.

I suspect an app update is on the horizon, but they haven’t done anything wrong!

We’ll take yer money, we will tamper with your settings, and deny all knowledge. But we still want yer money you weedy little peasant.

And this evening I was on a chat forum to talk to a specialist for nearly two hours, well it was mainly an AI bot, when the questions I asked got too difficult I was handed over to someone at WP who after another hour did not even answer back. I ask you, I pay good money to this bunch of arses who just couldn’t give a toss about you.

In the end, i sorted it myself. Yes it was their issue and i had to reinstall their crappy app, that the latest update had corrupted.

Edit:

Two days later they come back to me, telling me they have viewed my site and there seems to be nothing wrong with it.

I reply back simply, “I know, because I fixed it”

The reply to that was quite amazing,”Excellent that you fixed your issues with your site, if there is anything else we can help you with in the future, then please reach out to us”

Please pass me that sick bucket 🤮

Have a good day y’all

Thanks for that

How do you express your gratitude?

First, what does the dictionary say:

noun

  1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Before all the posts start appearing from the do as I say but not as I do, positive thinking brigade, it’s a quite simple response to be honest.

As it says, it’s a “Quality “ and not everyone possesses that quality. A rapid change in mindset will normally suffice.

Just be appreciative of what you have whatever that may be, a loving relationship, maybe someone has done well or made you feel a million dollars, with just a simple compliment you pay them back. Just be appreciative. Use the words please and thank you a little more, it will always go a long way. And always offer assistance. Just be nice and stop being an asshole.

Simplistic attitudes prevent the negative outcomes.

Sermon ends.

Have a good day. Stay safe.

Self care? Have a laugh…

How do you practice self-care?

Well this is a first. I thought I’d answered all of the WordPress daily prompts but I’ve either missed this one in the past or barring that they’ve actually added some new prompts. I personally think it’s the former and I’ve just not been paying attention, however they wish for an answer and who am I not to see that through. Here we go.

Self care

I’m not being pedantic when I post a title such as this, but I must admit that probably just like a lot of others out there, self care is not anywhere near the top of my agenda and sits quite low in the pecking order of things for me to do.

To be honest the feral cat that resides in our garden gets fed before I even think about feeding myself or taking my daily meds, to think of it even the plants in the garden get fed before i attend to myself, and my wife’s needs also come before any needs that I have that may need attention. I’ve always been a person that deals with others first, and get great comfort in seeing other individuals looking happy and comfortable, yes, being looked after.

I know people will start chuntering “Ooh you have to look after yourself “ and maybe they do need to do that, but to be honest I’ve managed almost 60 years without it and I’m doing just fine thank you. I’m not the sort of person always at the doctors door , expressing every ache and pain, I know when something seriously isn’t right and even then I question myself whether it’s even worth bothering anyone about.

My self care really is limited to my walking, my hobbies and occasional quiet time, all of which are just fleeting activities that are grabbed at, once every one else is catered for.

I know that there will come a time where I just can’t do anymore, and that will be the time when I will have no alternative but to stop, and look after what I have left. Yep, it maybe too late, but at least I will have great comfort in knowing I have put everyone else first.

No selfishness here.

Have a great day, whatever you are doing.

Any politician

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

Gotta be pretty much any politician I’ve seen or heard from in my life. The ones I’ve witnessed who will help in a situation always seem to have an ulterior motive, normally one that lines their pockets or doesn’t want issue in their own back yards. (Nimbyism)

Our local politician

I point you to the farce that is Leicester city council and the gelatinous mess who are representing us there. All got their snouts in the trough, don’t really give a toss about the local populace as long as they are ok.

A good old, “I’m alright Jack” attitude.

They’re all as bad as each other, many different parties all with the same agendas.

It crazy and criminal.

Have a great day.

I thought you said Bands!

What are your favorite brands and why?

Got exited originally as I thought this said favourite bands, had to sit back down and rethink my reply, as well as putting away my collection of R.E.M memorabilia.

So Brands it is then. I have no real affinity to brands to be totally honest, I have Apple devices, and Dyson devices at home but to be honest with you I would be just the same if they were Samsung phones or a Shark hoover, as long as they do the job I’m not that fussed.

Lindt shop Wembley

Chocolate though is a whole different topic. I love chocolate, but my go to brand has always been Lindt. I don’t think you can beat or replicate the taste of their offerings. I will actually go out of my way to purchase from their own shops. Some people prefer Cadbury chocolate, but to be honest if you go to any branch of Aldi and try their own brand fruit and nut bar you will be hooked. It actually has fruit within and that is something the Cadburys bar severely lacks.

So it’s Lindt chocolate for me. No contest.

And as for Coffee it can only be this bad boy.

Skull Crusher it does what it says on the bag

At work where we are fighting fatigue through long hours of working a 24hr Roster, you cannot beat this coffee. Too much and your heart rate is racing and you will be awake for the next millennium, just like a fine wine or good medicine it has to be taken in moderation. But by heck, does it make you alert. Just what you need, and that’s why we have a tea kitty that we all contribute to so we can keep a good stock of it at hand.

So no real fancy brand expense for me, as long as I have good Chocolate and good Coffee, then Dave’s a happy chap.

Get the kettle on!

Have a super day.

A little advice…

List the people you admire and look to for advice…

I guess we will all at some time look to a mixture of people for different kinds of advice.

Contentment

For emotional advice there is no one but my wife who I’d turn to in the first instance. I think for her, I’d fit that bill as well, heck, we’ve been together so long we sometimes know each other better than we know ourselves. She’s my confidante and I know anything we discuss stays totally between us. She’s just such an understanding and calm influence for me. I need that sometimes. Don’t misunderstand me, when she cracks she goes full loop de loop, and is known in the family as the Rottweiler, you just don’t cross her. And when this does rarely occur I’m the one that calms her. God, we were truly meant to be together to keep each other at peace. So far so good.

At work I’m in probably the best work team I have known in all my working days. We are always there for each other, there is always support for each other 24hrs a day, and when things get a bit too much, there is always a calming elder figure to talk to. I guess that is why it’s recognised in our organisation that our depot pretty much runs itself, with no issues and no need for guidance, we self manage and are a well oiled machine in all aspects. The guys I work with are just the most fantastic, supportive and caring bunch you could ever work with. And a combined fabulous sense of humour doesn’t go unnoticed.

Work

Outside of these two highlighted above, I look to some older and much wiser friends, elders of my life if you like for that additional advice, that advice that sometimes you just have to run past someone on the fringes of your group, to see if you are thinking it all out correctly, and addressing any issues logically.

I don’t really look to anyone else in my family group for advice, but saying that it is sometimes good to discuss approaches to issues with the younger members of the family to see their reactions and ways of dealing with similar issues. Sometimes they just seem to have a less tangled and somewhat easier approach to problem solving. Some times though they don’t.

So here I guess I am saying, that I can advise the younger generation from an experienced point of view, but at the same time I must be open to learning from them. It really is two way traffic.

Advice must be listened to and acted on, if we are to learn how to deal with a multitude of problems/ issues. Taking advice and not following through with it achieves noting and leaves you empty and confused. And that is where the “What ifs” arise. Good advice can definitely alleviate doubt.

Want some advice?

Be happy and have a great day – there you go 👍